MANSFIELD, PA-Mansfield University will present West Side Story on
March 1-4 at Straughn Hall.
This is the triumphant legendary story, where love transcends language, time, and place. While Manhattan’s west side rumbles with the clash of Jets and Sharks, Maria and Tony seek “a somewhere” their romance can thrive. In their revolutionary work that changed the course of the American musical.
The show was based on a conception of Jerome Robbins with Leonard Bernstein (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) and Arthur Laurents (book) bringing their award-winning genius to the immortal story of star-crossed lovers caught in a turf war of rival ethnic gangs.
Seventy-two Mansfield University students, representing 15 majors on campus, will participate in the production as cast, crew and orchestra members. The cast includes Kyle Cannon (Music Performance, junior) as Tony, Shannon Pizzirusso (Music Education, sophomore) as Maria, Tatyana Valentine (Business Administration, freshman) as Anita, Ben Eisenhour (Music Technology, senior) as Bernardo and Robert Flora (Music Education, junior) as Riff.
Music and stage direction are by Professor Sheryl Monkelien, 1993 MU graduate Peter Davis is responsible for stage direction and scenic design, with choreography by 2011 graduate Jocelyn Mullins and Brady Bennett (B.A. Music, sophomore). 
Performances will be Thursday, March 1, Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors and students. They can be purchased online at music.mansfield.edu or at the door one hour before performances. MU students with valid ID will be admitted free.
The production is funded in part through student activity fees.